At the end of chapter one in The Gift, Mauss describes the giving of alms as: “Giving is an
obligation, because Nemisis avenges the poor and the gods for the
superabundance of happiness and wealth of certain people who should rid
themselves of it. … The gods and the spirits accept that the share of wealth
and happiness that has been offered to them and has been hitherto destroyed in
useless sacrifices should serve the poor and children.” (p. 18)
Alms-giving necessarily is rooted in religion, he says, because the rationale is that giving to the poor appeases the gods. What does altruism like helping the poor mean for societies in which religion is not such a pressing issue? Is it more or less prevalent, and is giving and the motivations for giving a leftover habit from past generations? I identify as agnostic, and I enjoy volunteering and giving monetary gifts, when I can afford it, primarily because it makes me “feel good,” not because I fear the wrath of some god. Is this act of appeasing the gods a manifestation of some part of human nature or are my personal, deeper motivations unknown to me?
Alms-giving necessarily is rooted in religion, he says, because the rationale is that giving to the poor appeases the gods. What does altruism like helping the poor mean for societies in which religion is not such a pressing issue? Is it more or less prevalent, and is giving and the motivations for giving a leftover habit from past generations? I identify as agnostic, and I enjoy volunteering and giving monetary gifts, when I can afford it, primarily because it makes me “feel good,” not because I fear the wrath of some god. Is this act of appeasing the gods a manifestation of some part of human nature or are my personal, deeper motivations unknown to me?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.